


Through Copper Leaves

by niceboulder



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 16:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5504897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niceboulder/pseuds/niceboulder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy gets a love letter and trying to find out who sent it leaves her with more questions than answers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through Copper Leaves

The kitchen was uncharacteristically slow for an afternoon, especially considering there was Lady Edith's wedding to prepare for. There were more staff to contend with downstairs, and more people to serve upstairs, and yet Daisy had managed all of her tasks in the morning and now was trying to find a way to busy herself as she waited for the kettles to boil. With one ear she was listening to the babbling valet stood on the opposite side of the island. He had come in for a cup of tea a half hour before and hadn't stopped talking since. In the week he'd been visiting them, he had done the same every day and Daisy was always surprised he didn't run out of things to say. A bell rang, snapping her from her smiling and nodding, and forcing Mr Hexham to realise that he'd been there a fair while.

"Thank you, Daisy," Mr Hexham smiled, pushing the cup across the counter top towards her. "And thank you for listening. The footmen don't really have time for me. I guess they think I took one of their jobs. But I was the old Lord Hexham's valet before and I guess the new one thought it mean to fire me and- I really shouldn't be rambling, I do have to get off! These boots won't clean themselves! I'll see you later?"

Daisy fiddled with her apron. "Course," she nodded. "I'm always here."

  
She wondered how Lord Hexham's valet never dropped dead from forgetting to breathe. She could hear him in the corridor talking a mile a minute to whatever poor soul had passed by him, and she couldn't help but smile. He was a funny one, but she liked him all the same. After a minute or so, she heard Mr Hexham leave his latest target in peace, and Colin, one of the footman that had come with him for the wedding, came through the arches shaking his head.

"Does he ever shut up?" he asked, his tone light. He'd been in the kitchens his fair share over the last week, and never seemed able to take anything seriously, causing him to be quite the bane of Mrs Patmore's existence, much to Daisy's amusement.

"Not that I've found," she joked as she began to arrange the tea trays. "He's nice though."

"I don't know him that well." Colin stopped at the island, hitting it absent-mindedly with a pile of envelopes he was holding.

"But you work together?"

"You know how it is, he's above us. We don't really mix," Colin said, looking mildly uncomfortable.

"Is that your choice or his?"

"You've got me there," he conceded with an out-of-place chuckle, gesturing at her with the envelopes in his hand. He caught sight of them as he waved, and there was an audible " _oh_!", before he began shuffling through them. He picked out two and gave them to Daisy, who was trying very hard to contain amusement at how he had managed to forget his only task. "There's post for you. And Mrs Patmore."

"She's in the pantry. I'll give it her when she comes back. Thank you, Colin." He smiled at her again as he backed away. The was a loud clatter as he reversed into the desk instead of through the archway, and Daisy grimaced as he tried to laugh it off. She shook her head as he finally left with the least amount of destruction this week, and took to opening the letter addressed to her.

  
"What's got you grinning like a Cheshire cat?" Mrs Patmore asked loudly upon her return. Daisy was snapped suddenly out of her thoughts, and thrust the letter clamped in her hand towards the other woman as words failed her. She had been sitting in silence for a while - the footmen had given her some very funny looks when they had collected the tea trays. "Oh, what's this then?" Mrs Patmore said as she searched for her glasses.

"A love letter," Daisy managed.

"Let me have a look." Mrs Patmore took the letter and scanned it with haste.  
"Oh well I never."

Being offended often managed to snap Daisy out of a stupor, and this was no different. "You're surprised!" she accused.

"I'm not surprised. This is just... very impassioned."

"It is, in't it!" Daisy grinned again.

"Who'd you reckon's sent it?"

"I don't know, I can't tell the handwriting."

"Maybe it's Andy," Mrs Patmore put forward with a hopeful smile. Of course he would be her first suggestion.

"He can't write, Mrs Patmore," Daisy said, shaking her head slightly with an expression that she hoped quite clearly said 'don't be daft'.

"He could've learned by now."

"Maybe, but he's still only helping Mr Mason with the heavy lifting," Daisy told her as she began to busy herself with some washing up.

"Well, he probably got someone to help him," Mrs Patmore suggested with resilience, not willing to let go of the idea. "He'd be mad not to like you," she added softly.

Daisy brushed off the kind words. "You'd think he'd be able to do the books before writing sonnets."

Mrs Patmore hummed in resigned agreement, looking at the letter once more. "He is rather lyrical, whoever he is. Look at this '... _a sweeter breeze through copper leaves_...''. What happened to the good ol' fashioned, would you accompany me out? Even that was outlandish once-"

Daisy tuned her out to think. Could it have been Andy? He was nice and they were friends and Mr Mason liked him well enough but-

  
"Isn't he a bit young for me?" she asked, cutting off Mrs Patmore. She felt slightly guilty having ignore whatever the other woman had been saying, but Daisy had a penchant for saying what was on her mind as soon as she thought of it.

  
"Andy? I wouldn't say so. He's, what, 22 now? That's only 5 years. It'll be nothing when you're 80."

  
"But the man should be older."

  
"Not if you care about someone - it shouldn't matter," Mrs Patmore assured her.

  
"I suppose. I'll go ask him." Daisy pulled her hands from the water and dried them on her apron. They were slightly red and stung a little. The water had been too hot and in her rush to distract herself she had forgot to let it cool enough. 

"Don't you think that's a bit forward?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Mrs Patmore whoever it is-"

"-Andy."

" _Whoever_ it is didn't even sign their name, it's not going nowhere if I'm not a bit forward."

"But do you think that's its good idea?" Mrs Patmore stressed as Daisy made her way out. 

"You're the one pushing for me and Andy, isn't this what you want?" Daisy sighed, spinning back around. 

"I just think you'd be sweet together. I don't mean any harm."

"I'm not mad."

"Good. Go on then," Mrs Patmore smiled, ushering Daisy out and giving her a quick thumbs up when she turned back for reassurance with a giggle.

 

  
Daisy smiled to herself as she walked down the corridor. Maybe it was the thought of her admirer, maybe it was that that admirer could be Andy. She wasn't sure. He was kind, and he loved the farm, and she had always pictured herself with someone like him. He made her laugh, too, but they never had much to talk about. There were only so many conversations about pigs a girl could have. She didn't hold the fact he couldn't read against him, in fact she applauded his determination in trying to learn, but she wanted a partner who shared her interests and that was a fundamental difference between them.

Still, if he did like her, and truly meant the things he had written, she wouldn't turn him down. He was a good sort, and she was confident that if she had to, she could love him one day.

She almost felt like telling herself off for how different she was acting in comparison to her time with William. She had been driven mad with guilt pretending to welcome his advances. But back then she had been certain she would not grow to love him as more of a friend, and she had had more of a friendship with William than she did Andy, but they had know each other longer. With Andy, there was still a chance for that spark she longed for, she supposed.

It might've been there when they first met. He could have her giggling like a school girl with just a glance, but now it had sort of mellowed out. Was that how actual relationships worked? Daisy hadn't the foggiest idea.

  
Andy hadn't been in the servants hall, and when she poked her head in the boot room, he wasn't in there either. Instead, Mr Hexham and Colin sat opposite each other in a tense silence. She had no idea what had gone on between them, but when she cleared her throat, Mr Hexham nearly jumped out of his skin. Colin was no better, almost falling backwards with his stool, but catching the table before he toppled too far. A smile from Daisy seemed to calm them both.

 

"Have either of you seen Andy?" Her question was met with blank stares.

"He's one of our footmen, the tall one with curly hair?"

"Oh! Yes I think he just went outside. He was in here." Colin supplied eagerly. 

"Wait, I though his name was Trevor? I called him Trevor to his face!" Mr Hexham moaned, bringing a hand to his forehead and looking rather pained. "Oh, this is a nightmare. I could've sworn he was called Trevor! Of course-"

"I don't think anyone's called Trevor," Colin interjected.

"The lad who delivers papers is called Trevor?" Daisy told them. 

"Oh the weird looking kid, ears out to here," Colin demonstrated with his hands. Daisy laughed and leant forward to swat him playfully. 

"Hush you, don't be mean. He's very kind. Always brings a sweet when it's someone's birthday."

"Seems like someone's trying to worm their way in," Colin laughed. 

"He's probably just being thoughtful, Colin. Not that _you'd_ recognise it," Mr Hexham snapped, polishing the shoes in front of him with more vigour.  
Daisy wasn't sure what the issue between the two men was, but was certain that getting involved probably wouldn't help anyone. They glared at each other across the bench, and Daisy took this as her sign to leave. She threw her hand up in a hurried wave, and as she scattered out of the door she grabbed the hallboy who was walking past by the arm. 

"Don't let them kill each other," she instructed, turning him around and pushing him into the boot room. She shut the door on his protests and straightened her apron.

 

  
She found Andy outside, but he wasn't alone. Andy was with Thomas on the far side of the courtyard. She had opened the door quietly and neither had noticed. They were leant side by side up against a wall, facing away from her. Thomas was looking straight ahead, but Andy was looking at him enthralled in whatever he was saying. 

Daisy inched forwards in a pitiful attempt to make herself obvious, but stopped behind the nearest wall when she was struck by the memory of how many times she had seen Thomas and Miss O'Brien in that very spot, although this seemed different. They had always felt sinister together, glaring off at something in the distance. Here, there was none of that.

Thomas and Andy were smiling and joking and it seemed nice, sweet almost. O'Brien and Thomas, despite being as thick as thieves, had never seemed very fond of each other in Daisy's eyes. But they also hadn't seemed very fond of anything else. Perhaps they had found comfort in their own way.

She didn't understand the friendship between Thomas and Andy either. Thomas was such a manipulative and cruel person, and Andy had been nothing polite and kind to her. Yet still, somehow, Thomas and Andy were closer than Daisy could've imagined any one being when Thomas was involved. There had been a time she had thought herself close to Thomas, until it had been revealed he had used her to annoy William and get his own way. That was the thing about Thomas, once you got past the initial layer of charm there wasn't much underneath she had found but meanness and discontent. It felt odd she and Thomas would have a mutual friend. It was even odder than his friendship with Miss Baxter. They had known each other as children, so there was an obligation there, Mr Molesley had said once. There was no real logic of any sort behind what she could see before her.

Thomas chuckled at something she couldn't hear before taking a long drag of his cigarette. Daisy crept forward some more, hiding behind some crates this time, sensing that if she were to be caught it might not be a good thing.

 

"You shouldn't stand so close," she heard Thomas say. 

"Who's going to see?" Andy answered, his tone teasing and she could see him move closer to the underbutler with a certain swagger she hadn't seen on him before. 

"Anyone could walk through the gate at any second, or leave the house."

"I'll just have to be quick." He leant forward and Daisy was shocked to see him press his lips to Thomas'. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself from exclaiming. This was wrong. This was- this was illegal! She'd read about it in the papers. Daisy had no idea what to do- should she tell someone? Maybe it was a misunderstanding. She wasn't sure how you could accidentally put your lips on someone else's, but Andy was tall and gangly looking - maybe he tripped? Maybe that's how city boys say hello, maybe it was an optical illusion?

 

She watched wide eyed as Andy pulled back. She should make herself known now, she thought, put a stop to this, but then-

Thomas smiled.

It was soft, gentle, sweet, everything the man she had known for so very long was not. It wasn't the kind of smile she had ever associated with Thomas, it was simple, there was no bite behind it. There was no secret aim or scheme lurking behind a perfect facade. It was, however, a smile she had seen grace the faces of many other people. It was full of hope and thoughts better things. If she didn't know any better she'd say it was full of love.

Of course, she'd heard the rumours of Thomas, even if they had been slow in reaching her. Some of the maids had delighted in gossip about him, and when she gained more knowledge of the world she began to understand just what they were suggesting, but she had never dreamed it to be true. It was too far-fetched, they were in Yorkshire after all.

Thomas looked at the ground somewhat sheepishly, another move that surprised her, and Daisy was struck with the thought that she was interrupting something even more private than the kiss she'd just seen, yet she couldn't find it in herself to move away. This was Thomas, walls down, completely open and vulnerable for just a second. She felt privileged to see it, even if it was spying.

 

"I think Mrs Patmore's trying to set me up with Daisy," Andy mentioned as he leaned back against the wall.

"You considering it?" Thomas smirked slightly, before raising his cigarette to his lips again. They were back to normal so casually and Daisy wondered how long this had been going on for them to be like this together. 

"Course not, you goon." He swung his arm forward, and Daisy realised that the two of them were holding hands as she saw Thomas' arm go with it. All thoughts of how improper this was had long since left her head, and she smiled at the unknowing pair. They looked rather good together, proper sweet, she was surprised to find herself thinking. 

"I don't think Daisy will consider it much either. Not when she figures out Mr Hexham's got his eye on her." 

Daisy nearly gasped again. Mr Hexham? The letter she had nearly forgotten suddenly became the focus of her thoughts again. The valet certainly knew enough words, perhaps that particularly level of rambling leant itself perfectly to poetry? She could think of that later though, she decided. Listening to Thomas and Andy felt like a far more enticing and less difficult endeavour.

Andy shook his head, and turned so he was leaning against the wall with his shoulder instead. If he could ever being himself to look away from Thomas he would probably be able to see her, but she knew that was unlikely and continued to risk a peek. "Colin won't like that. He was asking round all day to see if she was stepping out with anyone."

Daisy's eyes widened from behind her crate. She was going to have a lot to relay to Mrs Patmore. Two men - interested in her! What a day this was turning out to be.

"Two suitors. Who'd of thought Daisy would be the centre of a romantic war?" It felt like he was being snide, but when she got a better look at him, Thomas seemed rather proud, and Daisy smiled more at the unknown fondness he seemed to hold for her than the newfound knowledge that the two men she'd left in the boot room may well have been fighting over her. That part hadn't quite sunk in. 

"It's not a war yet. But if Mr Hexham makes a move, Colin might just start it."

"Please," Thomas laughed. "Mr Hexham could take him."

"Colin would win her heart valiantly."

"Right," Thomas scoffed. "Want to bet?"

"You're on. If she loves Colin, I get..." Andy leant over and whispered in the other man's ear. Thomas choked.

"Jesus, Andy!" He spluttered as Andy fell forward laughing. "Is that how you want to play it? Fine. If Mr Hexham is where her heart lies, then you're doing the same. Twice." 

"Deal."

The two men shook hands whilst trying to stifle their laughter and failing miserably. Daisy wasn't sure she wanted to know the particulars of their deal. At least she had a clearer idea of who could've sent the letter. Andy was certainly out of the running, but it didn't seem like either of them would mind very much. Mrs Patmore might be crushed, though.

  
She took their distraction as opportunity to sneak back into the house without them knowing she's even been there. It would certainly take a long time to digest all the things she had learnt today. Thomas and Andy, and her suitors (which felt very strange to say, even in her head) were important ones for now. And then there was the case of Thomas on his own.

Everyone had been making an effort to be kinder to him since summer, yet Daisy hadn't truly been able to forgive him for the things he's done so many years before. She pondered how much of a friendship they had missed out on, and how Thomas actually felt about her. She never thought he would think kindly of anyone, but she obviously didn't know very much about him. She struggled to find an instance of him being truly cruel to her in a long time. She knew this didn't mean he was good by any means, but if Andy found something there, than what was the harm in trying to look too?

 

  
The house was still quiet as she shut the door behind her gently, but she could just make out muffled voices from the kitchen even from the door. She didn't know what to think about what she had seen, and wasn't sure if she would be sure for a long time. It had been a shock, after all. Despite everything she knew about these sort of matters (which, granted, wasn't a lot), Andy was her friend, and she didn't want to see him go to hell or anything. She felt obligated to tell someone. Miss Baxter would know how to handle this. She probably knew this was going on, if any one did. Daisy didn't want to get them in any trouble, but she had to talk about it. It wasn't every day you saw two men kissing. But it could all wait.

It had only taken ten steps into the building for all other thoughts to be put away, leaving Daisy consumed with the matter of her love life. She didn't want to seem self-absorbed, but it wasn't as though anyone would know that there were more serious things she could be thinking about and they certainly didn't know how excited she was to finally have something going on in her life to rival the stories of her colleagues. She wanted to run into the kitchen and tell Mrs Patmore everything.

The hallboy from before was leaning in the doorway to the boot room, breathing heavily. He glared at her as she passed and she couldn't help but beam at him in return. _Two men!_ Interested in her! This was certainly the revelation which would preoccupy most of her time. Daisy hadn't ever had more than one boy interested in her at a time, as far as she was aware. She almost felt like she had been living someone else's life to his morning.  
Perhaps these were the kind of things that went on in upstairs' life. Was this all in a day's work for Lady Mary and her array of suitors?

Daisy was definitely going to enjoy this.


End file.
